Auto Repair Morgan Hill News : 9-29-12

PARIS–One of the easiest ways to increase fuel efficiency without sacrificing drivability is to shave weight. Lose a gram here, save an ounce there, and before you know it, you could be looking at sizable weight reduction and a complementary reduction in fuel consumption and particulate emissions.

On the first day here at the 2012 Paris Motor Show, we heard this theme repeated over and over from automakers as they put their vehicles on a diet, shaving hundreds of pounds off of their newest models.

Audi debuted the five-door variant of the next-generation A3, which is the model most likely to find its way to U.S. shores. The new model features updated styling and a bit of trickle-down dashboard tech from the automaker’s larger, more expensive models. Expect the A3 to bring along a 1.8-liter turbocharged gasoline engine and a 2-liter TDI diesel option that outputs 150 horsepower and 236 pound-feet of torque when it gets here.

Knowing someone has been to driving school or seeing that they drive a manual car is a pretty good indicator they’ll be a decent driver. But how can you tell who’s good when you’re already on the road? More »

We at Jalopnik are huge fans of driving, but we think it should be only done when you’re not under the influence of booze. You put your own life at risk when you do that, along with that of anyone else who might be on the road. In addition, the legal penalties suck massively when you get caught. More »

In what seems like a prediction from Back to The Future, the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) has predicted that a majority of cars one the road in 2040 will be driven autonomously. They’re basing their forecast on technology from GM, Audi, BMW, Stanford University, Google, and Toyota. The timeline for autonomous cars hitting the road […]